Curtis Robinson: 'As Long As I'm a Resident, No One Will Go Hungry'

Southington resident Curtis Robinson knows what it’s like to have nothing. Growing up in Alabama, he watched as his mother worked six days a week, earning just $50 in the process, as she attempted to keep food on the table and provide shelter for Robinson and his brothers.

Robinson vowed as he watched her struggle for the family to make sure she had what she needed to never go through it again, hopping on a bus and heading towards Boston at the age of 18. He got off in Hartford by accident and the rest, as they say, is history.

The 63-year-old’s story is a tale of success and perseverance, overcoming the odds to become one of the most notable humanitarians in the country and on Tuesday morning before a packed room at the celebrity breakfast, he made a promise that brought a standing ovation from those in attendance.

“I don’t want to see anyone go hungry and I promise that won’t happen as long as I’m a resident of this wonderful town,” Robinson said.

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Promises like these have been common from Robinson, who turned his family’s struggle into a success story, but when it comes to helping others, Chamber President Art Secondo said he has been amazed by how Robinson has never failed to break his promise.

“Curtis has demonstrated the American Dream through extreme dedication and determination. He is truly a role model for everyone,” Secondo said.

Robinson has epitomized what it means to be a humanitarian over the past several decades, spreading his wealth that allowed him to retire at 35 throughout the greater Hartford area. He has been involved in countless charitable endeavors, from donating countless money to Southington Bread for Life to helping found the Curtis D. Robinson men’s Health Institute at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford in 2010.

Since that time, the institute has screened approximately 3,000 men and saved nearly 40 lives.

It’s effort like these that have earned Robinson national awards including the Scroll of Merit Award from the National Medical Association in July and the Rosa Parks Lifetime Achievement Award in late June. Robinson is also set to receive the Torch of Liberty Award from the Anti-Defamation League in August.

“One thing that stands out is that he believe and lives for a bigger goal,” said Charlie Cocuzza, president of the chamber’s board of directors. “His giving back and all his humanitarian efforts make him a man to emulate and a man worth honoring.”

For Robinson, it’s not about being honored though.

Robinson came to Hartford at 18, getting off the bus by accident thinking he was in Boston. When he was told where he was, it was too late. He spent the night on a park bench and got a job at a local hotel the next day.

Within a year, he had bought a local grocery store and by the age of 27 was the owner of 22 properties throughout the Hartford area. He had bought his mother a home, making sure she never had to worry again and by 35 owned the hotel he started at.

But that wasn’t satisfying enough for Robinson, who was looking to do more with his life than just own property or make money.

“At the end of the day, I came to realize that nothing I did as a businessman alone meant anything. When the time comes, God is not going to ask us about the money we’ve saved or the number of cars we own,” Robinson said. “He will only care and ask us about what we did with our gift. You can’t look back, but have to keep an eye forward because when you look back, you will run into something.”

That was when Robinson said he pledged to make sure he helped anyone he could. It’s a mission that his wife Sheila has stood behind and helped make possible, he said.

When asked why he does has continued to focus on helping others, Robinson recalled a story from a man who visited the Men’s Institute at St. Francis recently. The man, a Florida resident, was suffering from prostate cancer and had no insurance. He had to choose between seeking treatment or paying his mortgage.

After hearing a news story on the radio, Robinson said the man drove straight to Connecticut and to the front door of the center. Twelve days later, he was cancer free.

“It’s stories like these that motivate me. No moment in the world is as great as when a man looks into your eyes and says ‘thank you for giving me my life back’,” Robinson said.

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